Tempus Matutinum
by Ensign A. Icestorm
Summary: Just a very short little fic about an early morning on a mission. This one was written during a very boring Latin lesson, and honoring that hour of my life I gave it a Latin name. I thought that was appropriate.


**Tempus Matutinum**

It was still early morning. The grass was still wet, the forest calm and the first birds had just left their nests, desperate to wake the world with their song. However, it wasn't the birds' singing that had awoken Carter, even though that would probably have been nicer that the real reasons. No, what had forced her out of her sleeping bag was a little chain of events. The first was Daniel. The bloody archaeologist had apparently been dreaming vividly because he was constantly rearranging himself and while doing so managing to kick Carter's calves. Henceforth she had slowly regained consciousness. Then there was the warm sun. This planet had quite cold nights, and the team had been forced to use winter sleeping bags which were perfect for those conditions. But as soon as the morning came the bags were way too warm and once you woke enough to realize this there was no way you could go back to sleep in the bag. Usually, Carter opened her bag and slept anyway, but yesterday she had drawn the shortest straw and had had to sleep in the sunniest corner which was now really warm. This reason was an utterly annoying one, but not as annoying as the last reason which had forced her out of the bag. It was so simple, but so irritating. It was that eternal need to visit the ladies'.

Samantha walked a little bit into the forest, trying to get some distance between herself and the tent. Daniel had been moving around quite a lot and it was more than plausible that someone else had been awoken as well, and Carter didn't really wish everyone to hear her Niagara fall. When she supposed she was on safe grounds, Carter looked around for somewhere to sit down. All a guy needed was a place to put his feet. A girl however needed someplace steady so she wouldn't fall. It was quite tricky and she wondered if transsexual men who went through surgery really knew what they were getting themselves into. As she sat down she looked at her clock. 0513. Good morning campers! She could hear O'Neill's voice in her head. She had thought about trying to go back to sleep, but seeing that they were to get up in 45 minutes she decided to stay up. She buckled up her pants and went back to the glade where the tent was. There was a little creek floating through and Sam put her hands down in the water and let the chilly H2O wash them. After a while se got used to the cold and let her hands play in the water. Yesterday they had made sure that there were no alien creatures dangerous to them in the water, and that the water was really water. Samantha took herself a minute just to look around and enjoy the pretty surrounding: the forest, the lake, the birds and the warm sun above her. This she combined with her emotions: the chill of the fresh water around her fingers, the sensation of her friends asleep a few metres behind her and the excitement she got from being out on yet another mission to unexplored worlds.

When her fingers began to go numb, Sam took them out of the water and used them as a comb to get her short hair in order. She realized that it was quite greasy. Normally she didn't care about her looks, at least not when they were on missions, but it would really have been a perfect morning if her hair had felt fresh and newly washed. If it was possible to feel fresh and newly washed three days after your latest encounter with the shower.

She splashed her face and rubbed her eyes to wake them up properly. Then Sam made her way to the tent. She unzipped the front of the tent and crawled in. Trying not to wake the Colonel, who slept in the middle, she reached for her bag by standing just barely in the tent, while bending over Daniel and somehow get a hold of her jacket, sleeping-bag and rucksack. It was quite acrobatic actually. She then threw her things out and began to back out. But as her feet touched the ground outside she lost balance and the only place to put her hands for support was on O'Neill's ankles. As she didn't just put her hands there but actually her entire bodyweight, he woke up.

"Jeez Carter!" he hissed.  
"Sorry sir," she whispered before slowly crawling out, feeling and looking guilty for awaking him so brusque. A moment later he followed.  
"'Morning sir." He emerged from the tent, his hair in disorder. Just like the rest of the team he slept in his green pants and black T- shirt.  
"'Morning Carter." He stretched, raising his hands above his head and yawned. Samantha allowed herself to enjoy the view of his muscular abdomen. This was her little enjoyment when they were on missions, those brief moments of just pure arousal at the sight of her CO. But since he was her CO, she of course could not act upon her feelings and instincts. But she enjoyed it anyhow.  
"Sorry to wake you, sir" she said as she continued to pack her sleeping-bag and look for the breakfast she was responsible for.  
"Well honestly," he had stopped his stretching and now sank down beside her, "I was already awake." This last he said as a whisper, as if letting her know a little secret. He winked at her. Sam smiled, still tucking down her sleeping arrangements.  
"I guessed. You said 'Jeez _Carter_' without even looking up. You must have peaked earlier."  
"Ah. Yes. Damn."  
"Daniel?"  
"Yeah." They both smiled knowingly, but sat in silence as Sam finished her packing. When she went to grab the food, O'Neill reacted.  
"What time is it?" She looked at her clock.  
"5 to six."  
"Oh. Bet the others will be here in a sec. Better get to the bathroom before they do." He flashed her a smile before leaving. Sam went to lit the fire. Daniel usually took care of the actual cooking.


End file.
